Tend to Oppose Privatization in Education

The NCSPE maintains links to researchers, journals, newspapers and other organizations that offer diverse perspectives on educational privatization. Many sites are sponsored by organizations with strong political viewpoints, and include a broad range of positions for and against privatization. The NCSPE does not endorse these sites, and provides links to them as a public service.

Tend to Oppose Privatization in Education

Advocacy Groups

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) "ADL Urges Douglas County School Board to Reject Voucher Proposal. (website quote)School voucher programs undermine two great American traditions: universal public education and the separation of church and state. Instead of embracing vouchers, communities across the country should dedicate themselves to finding solutions that will be available to every American schoolchild and that take into account the important legacy of the First Amendment. (website quote)"

American Association of School Administrators (AASA) "The mission of the American Association of School Administrators is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children.AASA members are the chief education advocates for children. AASA members advance the goals of public education and champion children’s causes in their districts and nationwide" (website quote)

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) “The ACLU is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.” (website quote)

Americans United for Separation of Church and State “Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU works in the courts, in Congress and the state legislatures, at the White House and in the arena of public opinion. We come from all 50 states and a wide variety of religious, political and philosophical backgrounds. We are dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.” (website quote)

Charter School Scandals "A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.” (website quote)

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) “Despite some supporters’ claims, research shows that vouchers don’t improve outcomes for kids who receive them or drive improvements in nearby neighborhood schools. Vouchers divert funding from schools that serve the vast majority of students. They also become a distraction from the more serious discussions we need to have about school policies and practices that actually work. Teachers, paraprofessionals and support personnel in K-12 education face threats of private management of public schools and contracting out…. The American Federation of Teachers strongly supports charter schools that embody the core values of public education.” (website quote)"

“ Council of the Great City Schools is a coalition of 64 of the nation's largest urban public school systems. Founded in 1956 and incorporated in 1961, the Council is located inWashington D.C. , where it works to promote urban education through legislation, research, media relations, instruction, management, technology, and other special projects designed to improve the quality of urban education. The Council serves as the national voice for urban educators, providing ways to share promising practices and address common concerns."

Going Public.org Going Public.org Welcome to Going Public, a site for those who believe, as we do, that public education is the heart of our democracy. Our public schools are the last place where people from different classes and different walks of life come together to learn, to share ideas, and to be afforded a fair opportunity to reach for the American dream....Today, an unholy alliance of wealthy conservatives and progressive hedge fund managers have declared war on public education. Their goal is to dismantle public schools, and ultimately to destroy the middle class and the opportunity of upward mobility that defines the can-do American spirit.” (website quotes)

National Access Network “The mission of the National Access Network is to provide comprehensive, up-to-date, nation-wide information regarding efforts to promote equal educational opportunity, especially in regard to the financing of public education, and to promote meaningful educational opportunities for all children, especially those low-income and minority children currently being denied this opportunity.” (website quotes)

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People “The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. The NAACP National Education Program strives to ensure that all students have access to an equal and high-quality public education by eliminating education-related racial and ethnic disparities in our public schools” (website quote)

National Education Association (NEA) The NEA is opposed to vouchers as a method for school improvement. "In general, evaluations of voucher students' achievement show no or only small improvements relative to comparable public school students....NEA believes that instead of diverting scarce school resources to vouchers for a select few, we should help public schools work for all students by instituting proven reform efforts to increase student achievement, improve teacher quality, and set high standards." The NEA has concerns about the effectiveness of charter school plans as well.

NEA Foundation “The NEA Foundation, through the unique strength of its partnership with educators, advances student achievement by investing in public education that will prepare each of America's children to learn and thrive in a rapidly changing world.” (website quote)

National PTA "National PTA(Parent Teacher Association) opposes any private school choice proposal and/or voucher system that diverts public funds to private or sectarian schools. (website quote) The National PTA believes that public education provides a common experience for building and maintaining a commitment to the basic values of a democratic system of government. A strong public education system is vital to America's well-being." Furthermore, "National PTA supports public funds for public schools only and opposes using tax dollars to finance education vouchers for private and religious schools."

National Rural Education Association (NREA) The NREA (National Rural Education Association) was originally founded as the Department of Rural Education in 1907. It has evolved as a strong and respected organization of rural school administrators, teachers, board members, regional service agency personnel, researchers, business and industry representatives, and others interested in maintaining the vitality of rural school systems across the country. The National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition encourages Congress to look at the unique needs of rural schools as it develops policies and passes laws. (website quote)

National School Boards Association (NSBA) "NSBA's mission is "Working with and through our State Associations, NSBA Advocates for Equity and Excellence in Public Education through School Board Leadership. What to Tell Congress(NSBA's Position); Let your Senators and Representatives know that you oppose draining critical resources from the nation's public schools to fund private school vouchers. You can use these talking points to help convey your message. For comprehensive information on vouchers, visit NSBA's Voucher Strategy Center website.(website quote)

Parents for Public Schools“Parents for Public Schools (PPS) is a national organization of community-based chapters working with public school parents and other supporters to improve and strengthen local public schools. We believe that quality public education is vital to our democracy and to America’s future. We value parents as owners of public schools and as peers with all those seeking to improve schools.” (website quotes)

People for the American Way People For the American Way is dedicated to making the promise of America real for every American: Equality. Freedom of speech... Freedom of religion. Voucher programs are sold as a way to 'rescue' kids in failing public schools, but the evidence shatters this myth... (website quote)" Supporting public schools and defeating voucher legislation are major interests.

Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) The PSEA was founded "to advance quality public education for all students while fostering the dignity and worth of members through collective action." They have passed resolutions opposing vouchers and tuition tax credits, and stating that "any charter/cyber-charter school proposal must directly involve public school employees in the design, implementation, and governance of these schools and programs.... [and] must not divert current funds from any public school programs. PSEA Vice President Mike Crossey testified at a state Senate Education Committee hearing on Senate Bill 1, where he outlined reasons that the creation of a tax-funded voucher program is not in the best interest of taxpayers or students.(website quote) "

Privatization Watch “Privatization Watch is a joint project of the Center for Study of Responsive Law and Essential Information. We are involved in a variety of projects to encourage citizens to become active and engaged in their communities. We provide provocative information to the public on important topics neglected by the mass media and policy makers.” (website quote)

Public Education Network (PEN) Public Education Network (PEN) is a national association of local education funds working to advance public school reform in low-income communities across our country. PEN believes an active, vocal constituency is the key to ensuring that every child, in every community, benefits from a quality public education. Its Guiding Principles .... Public schools are critical institutions for breaking the cycle of poverty and redressing social inequities.” (website quote)

Rethinking Our Schools "Rethinking Schools began as a local effort to address problems such as basal readers, standardized testing, and textbook-dominated curriculum. Since its founding, it has grown into a nationally prominent publisher of educational materials, with subscribers in all 50 states, all 10 Canadian provinces, and many other countries. While the scope and influence of Rethinking Schools has changed, its basic orientation has not. Most importantly, it remains firmly committed to equity and to the vision that public education is central to the creation of a humane, caring, multiracial democracy. While writing for a broad audience, Rethinking Schools emphasizes problems facing urban schools, particularly issues of race." (website quote)

Save Our Schools (SOS) "We are done waiting quietly. As teachers, parents, and concerned community members, we urgently need better schools. We also know that the improvement we seek will never be realized without our input. For our children’s sake, we are organizing to reclaim our right to determine how our children will be educated. For our future’s sake, we are organizing to revitalize an education system that, for too many children, focuses more on test preparation than actual education. We demand a humane, empowering education for every child in America." (website quote)

Taxpayers for Public Education “We are a non-profit and non-partisan group of citizens organized to protect our public schools from budget reduction due to private school voucher programs.” (website quote)

United Opt Out National “We believe that high stakes testing is destructive to ALL children, educators, communities, the quality of instruction in classrooms, equity in schooling, and the democratic principles which underlie the purposes of public education. We believe that a quality public education is a basic human right for all children, one which must remain in the hands of our communities and out of the hands of big business, corporate reformers and politicians. If we are to save, and transform, public education into spaces where ALL children have an opportunity to flourish, grow, question, challenge, think and be prepared as democratic citizens, we must begin with the fight to end the high stakes testing movement. We oppose corporate education reform which undermines the preservation and improvement of public schools. We "opt out" of corporate education reform and the privatization that is occurring in our country by offering strategies and actions for students, teachers, schools and communities to take in an effort regain a whole and equitable public education for all children.” (website quote)

Research and Policy Organizations

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) The Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit Washington D.C. think tank, was created in 1986 to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include the interests of low- and middle-income workers. Education is one of the core areas of focus for EPI, which has produced a large body of research on the factors that make schools successful, support teachers in their work, and ensure a well-rounded and adequate education for every child. In partnership with the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education Campaign, EPI recommends a new national education policy that would take a more comprehensive measure of student performance. (website quote)

Education International Education International is the voice for education employees across the globe... We promote equity in society. Provides research on international studies regarding education and the effects of privatization internationally. Such as “ A study commissioned by Education International reveals that a growing trend towards privatization of public education is often camouflaged by the language of “educational reform,” or introduced stealthily as “modernization.” (website quote)

National Education Policy Center “The mission of the National Education Policy Center is to produce and disseminate high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. We are guided by the belief that the democratic governance of public education is strengthened when policies are based on sound evidence.” (website quote)